3 vehicles, 2 dogs, 1 distracted driver equals collision, rollover

ST. GEORGE — A driver who officials said ran a stop sign Thursday while tending to two dogs in his vehicle set into motion a three-vehicle collision and rollover that brought numerous officers, responders and tow trucks to the area.

A gold Chevrolet Equinox is pulled by a tow truck to an upright position after colliding with a red Jeep Wrangler on South Main Street Thursday, St. George, Utah, Dec. 1, 2016 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

Just before 2 p.m. officers were dispatched to a reported rollover with possible injuries on South Main Street near the corner of West 300 South Street.

As first responders arrived they found three heavily damaged vehicles – a gold Honda Accord, a red Jeep Wrangler and a gold Chevrolet Equinox – spread out over a large crash area along the southbound lane of South Main Street.

After speaking with the drivers and witnesses of the crash, officers learned that a man driving the Honda was heading east on West 300 South Street when he became distracted by two dogs in his car.

He failed to stop at the stop sign at South Main Street and struck a southbound Equinox as it passed directly in front of him, St. George Police Lt. Rich Triplett said.

The impact sent the Equinox rolling and sliding over into oncoming traffic where it was struck head-on by the northbound Jeep, the officer said.

“Speed was also a factor in the crash, as the man in the Honda was driving over the posted speed limit,” Triplett said.

Brynlee Guest said her roommate was driving the Honda that hit the Equinox, sending that vehicle into an end-over-end rollover that concluded when the Equinox started to fall back towards the ground and slammed into the hood of the Jeep. After falling on the Jeep, the Equinox came to rest upside down in the middle of the southbound lane.

“The investigation into the incident is still ongoing,” Triplett said, “and the reports are still being processed.”

A gold Equinox and Honda Accord sustain extensive damage after being involved in a three-vehicle collision on South Main Street Thursday, St. George, Utah, Dec. 1, 2016 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

Guest said that her dogs, Prada and Tank, were actually the ones responsible for the crash.

“These are the culprits who started this whole thing,” she said.

It all began when the man heading east on West 300 South Street became startled when one of the two small dogs in the front seat jumped up and put its paws onto an open window.

Guest’s roommate reached over to pull the dog back to safety just as his vehicle approached the stop sign. Instead, he drove right through the stop sign, which started the chain of events, Triplett said.

All three drivers involved in the crash were uninjured; however, their vehicles were towed from the scene.

Traffic was impacted for nearly an hour while responders tended to the large crash area and cleared the wreckage and debris from the roadway.

The St. George Police Department, St. George Fire Department, Gold Cross Ambulance and three tow trucks responded and tended to the scene.

This report is based on preliminary information provided law enforcement and other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings.

Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.

This red Jeep Wrangler is towed after being involved in a three-vehicle collision Thursday on South Main Street, St. George, Utah, Dec. 1, 2016 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

The second dog in the Honda at the time of the crash, Tank, is held by self-proclaimed animal lover Jim VanMeter, a friend of the Equinox driver. St. George, Utah, Dec. 1, 2016 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

Byrnlee Guest holds Prada, the dog that startled a driver who missed a stop sign, setting off a three-vehicle collision Thursday on South Main Street, St. George, Utah, Dec. 1, 2016 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

A tow truck pulls this gold Chevrolet Equinox to an upright position before it was towed away following a three-vehicle collision Thursday on South Main Street, St. George, Utah, Dec. 1, 2016 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

The driver of a gold Honda Accord starts the chain of events that led to the three-vehicle collision Thursday on South Main Street, St. George, Utah, Dec. 1, 2016 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

A gold Equinox and Honda Accord sustain extensive damage after being involved in a three-vehicle collision Thursday on South Main Street, St. George, Utah, Dec. 1, 2016 | Photo by Cody Blowers, St. George News

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About the Author

Cody Blowers was raised in South San Francisco, California. A 2013 graduate of Colorado Technical University, Cody earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minor in paralegal studies. Through the course of her academic studies she discovered that writing is her true passion, and she is committed to providing credible, integrated news coverage. Cody joined St. George News in 2015, and when she’s not busy chasing the news, she can generally be found chasing her young granddaughter, Kali.

“These are the culprits who started this whole thing,” she said.
No, they’re dogs. The culprits are the negligent adults, who don’t take necessary precautions as almost two tons of metal hurtles down the street.

“Speed was also a factor in the crash, as the man in the Honda was driving over the posted speed limit,” Triplett said.
Did the dogs also make him drive too fast?